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Facilities: Redwood City

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Fiscal Year 2014 work plan includes $7.7 million to dredge the Port of Redwood City’s navigation channel.

Redwood City Receives Increased Dredging Funds to Deepen Navigation Channel

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Fiscal Year 2014 work plan includes $7.7 million to dredge the Port of Redwood City’s navigation channel.

Port officials lauded U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) for supporting efforts to raise the amount by $5,015,000 more than was initially budgeted.

The navigation channel is currently at -24 feet, well short of the authorized depth of -30 feet. Channel depth is a critical factor in determining operating costs and the price of materials shipped through the port. Port customers told the Corps and Sen. Feinstein that their businesses transporting construction materials to Silicon Valley and throughout the Bay Area were being adversely hindered by the channel’s depth.

"To compensate for the shallower channel, ships are typically light loaded by shifting materials to shallow draft barges within the Bay," said Port Commission Chair Lorianna Kastrop. "In addition to light loading, companies respond to the inadequate channel depth by offloading at other ports farther north in the Bay, and then truck materials to Silicon Valley. This adds to highway congestion and emissions throughout the Bay Area. In fact, every ship that does not call on the Port of Redwood City adds between 1,500 and 1,750 trucks to Bay Area highways."

In illustrating the cost impacts of the channel’s current depth, Seaport Industrial Association Executive Director Greg Greenway said: "Lightening the draft of one ship by 2 feet using a barge adds about $30,000 in extra costs, raising the price of construction materials throughout the South Bay and Silicon Valley."  His association represents port and industrial businesses in Redwood City.

According to the Corps’ San Francisco District, $8.0 million is required to restore the channel to full project depth. The president's budget request – and therefore the FYl4 omnibus appropriations bill – included $2.75 million for the Redwood City project, meaning that $5.25 million in additional funding is needed to restore the channel to full project depth.

"Fortunately, the FY14 Omnibus Appropriations Bill included additional funding for projects that ‘will enhance national, regional, or local economic development’ and takes into consideration ‘lack of alternative means of freight movement, and savings over alternative means of freight movement,’" said Port Executive Director Michael J. Giari.

According to the port, dredging could start this September and take two months.
 

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